Monday, September 15, 2014

Bowl Covers

You will need leftover fabric i used my table cloths and i also used some leftover duck cloth and some drill from another project. Furnishing fabrics work great as will any medium to heavy weight cotton cloth. Your sewing machine will come in handy as will some matching thread or just use white thread. The last item you will need is some thin elastic.

Lay your bowl upside down onto the fabric and trace around, add about two inches to that and cut out. Cut out as many covers you need to fit your different sized bowls.

I didn't measure any of them, there is no need they are very forgiving so a bit wonky wont matter one bit. This would make a great beginners project.

You can iron them if your fabric is very wrinkly or has lots of fold lines.

Once you have ironed or not its time to do some sewing, put your machine to a small to medium zigzag. Just using your fingers fold a small hem, No need to iron. Then feed it through your machine, folding as you go. You only need one fold not a double fold. Its a little fiddly but quite easy and if you go off a bit it doesn't matter.

Now its time for the elastic, Place the elastic right on top of your zigzagged hem and fasten with a couple of stitches to hold it, Now for the hard part, just kidding its not hard at all.
You are going to stretch the elastic as you zigzag it into place. Stretch it out as far as it will go now let it off about a 1/4 of that and start to sew. You don't want it fully stretched but you don't want it too loose. The stretch will determine how elastic it will be on the bowl to make a good fit.
Sew it next to the edge but not too close. As you can see from the picture below, i used black elastic and white thread so you can see.
Sew all the way around and finish off.

Its that simple.

As you can see from the bowls below i have fitted a couple of the large ones over an oval casserole dish and a square pie dish.
The bowls i made these for range in sizes 4, 6, 8, 10 and 16 inches, plus a few sizes in between. The 4 and 6 inch bowls will fit the same size cover, the same with the 8 and 10 inch.

Use them to cover your bowls instead of using plastic wrap. I have some to cover my bread dough bowls as you know i make the dough the day before and leave it on the bench and now it has a fancy new cover.
I also cover the left over pancake mix bowl and pop it in the fridge.
Bench, cupboard or fridge these covers are a wonderful addition to anyone's kitchen, and i think a must have item.

Total cost for me was no more than a few dollars. The fabric was either recycled or leftovers, a minimal amount of cotton thread and the elastic was 99c a metre. I made 25 covers at a cost of less than $4.00.

Wow your friends and family with your sewing skills and make up a few sets as Christmas gifts. Even if you purchase every thing new they are still a cheep, quick and easy gift.
With summer on its way and all those BBQ's these are great for covering your potato salad bowl cause you know those flies are going to be a problem.

I am SO making some of these. Just packed up my sewing for our move, but will start on these 1st thing as gifts and for self. (bought a box of the plastic ones at the dollar store, and have been washing and reusing them..These will be fabulous..thanks).